Weber iii
dispenser



Nov. 29, 1966 R. 1 WEBER nl DISPENSER Filed March 1l, 1965 www INVENTOR.

ROBERT L. WEB R IU'.

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent O 3,288,556 DISPENSER v Robert L. Weber IH, New Canaan, Conn., assigner to Products International Incorporated, New Canaan, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 264,434 3 Claims. (Cl. 21-120) The present invention relates to vaporizers and particularly to an improved cartridge-like vaporizer adapted to be applied to a heating element.

The princip-al object of the invention is to provide a cartridge-like vaporizer which can be supported by a heating element.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a vaporizer in which the liquid to be vaporized is stored in the cartridge-like vaporizer, and only that quantity desired to be vaporizled is exposed to the atmosphere.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such an Iapparatus in which the vaporizer cartridge is supported on a at surface within the heating element.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a heating element and cartridge-like vaporizer that has the capacity to dispense therapeutic, antiseptic, Agermicidal,

bactericidal, insecticidal and other vapors.

cial and consumer markets for `dispensing a pleasing fragrance or odor, either for the sake of the odor itself or to override unpleasant odors, such as occur in toilet rooms, kitchens and the like; or so that a particular odor is given off in proximity with the display and sale of certain merchandise such as food products, perfume and toilet articles.

In one aspect of the invention, the apparatus may comprise a cup-shaped heating element having a tlat bottom surrounded by upstanding walls, and a cartridge-like vaporizing element supported within the cup-shaped element on the flat bottom surface thereof.

In -another .aspect of the invention, the cup-shaped heating element may be made of a ceramic having electrical resistance means embedded within the upstanding walls, or it may be a semiconductor which has the desired resistivity which, when connected into an electrical circuit, inherently produces heat.

In still .another aspect of the invention, the heating element may have electrical resistance means embedded in the tiat supporting surface with a low peripheral ledge surrounding it, or it may be made from a semiconductor with a at supporting surface surrounded by a peripheral ledge.

In still another aspect of the invention, the cartridgelike vaporizer may comprise a container having a flat bottom and side walls ad-apted to contain a quantity of air and the liquid to be vaporized. The top of the container may be provided with a dish-shaped member having passage means therethrough at its central point of lowest elevation.

In a still further aspect `of the invention, wick or other capillary means may be held in position within the container to close the passage means in the dish-shaped mem-ber and to extend down into the liquid to be vaporized. The construction is such that the vaporizer is supported on the flat supporting surf-ace of the heating element, and the walls of the latter surrounding the vaporizer, when the heating element is connected into an electrical circuit, heat the liquid and air within the vaporizer, building up pressure therein thereby forcing the liquid to be vaporized up through the wick into the ice dished member from which it Vaporizes into the atmosphere. When the heating element is disconnected from the electrical circuit, the vaporizer cools down, producing a subatmospheric pressure in the vaporizer, thereby c-ausing any liquid within the dished member to he sucked down the wick into the container.

` In still another aspect of the invention, the vaporizer may comprise a relatively shallow container having a flat bottom with a recessed or depressed central portion forming a raised, curved surface within the container over which the wick or other capillary material may lie, and against which the apertured portion of the dish-like member may rest.

The above, other objects and novel features of the he-ating element and vaporizer will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing which is merely exemplary.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevational view of a heating element and cartridge-type vaporizer to which the principles of the invention have been applied; and

FIG. 2 is a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to FIG. 1, the principles of the invention are shown as applied to a heating element 10, which in the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 1 is in the form of a cup-shaped member having a flat bottom 11 surrounded by side wall means 12 and having a screw threaded portion 13, the exterior of which is covered with electrically conducting material 14.

The cup-shaped member 10 may be made from a ceramic material and is shown as having embedded in side wall means 12 electrical resistance means in the form of Ia coil 15 forming a heating element. One end 16 of the coil 15 may be connected to the conducting layer 14 While the opposite end 17 thereof may extend downwardly through the ceramic threaded portion 13 and be connected to a conductor 18. Accordingly, screwing the portion 13 into a light socket that is energized will cause the coil 15 to rise in temperature.

The cup-shaped 4me-mber 10 is adapted to receive a cartridge-like vaporizer 19. It may comprise a metal container 20 having a flat bottom 21 that is adapted to rest on at surface 11 of member 10. The container m-ay be made of aluminum or some similar material such as stainless steel or the like. container 20 may be closed by a dish-shaped member 22 having a central passageway means 23 extending therethrough at the low point of member 22. It may also include side wall means 24 that frictionally enga-ge the inner surface of the container 2t). The upper end 25 of side wall means of container 20 lmay be rolled over the top edge of said wall means 24 of the dish-shaped member 22 in order to hold the parts in permanently assembled relation.

The interior of the container may include a standard 26 integrally secured to the bottom 21 of container 20, the standard serving to transmit heat from the bottom 11 upwardly to the interior walls 22A. A wick 27 or other capillary element may be supported by the standard 26, and the container 20 may be partially filled with a liquid 28 to be vaporized and dispensed into the atmosphere. With container 20 partially filled with liquid, trapping a body of air 29 over the liquid, the dish` shaped member 22 is forced into the top of container 20 until its passageway means 23 contacts the top of wick 27, after which the end 25 is rolled over to hold the parts together. The wick is cut away at the top The upper end of to expose an area 23A of the walls 22A, such providing a hot spot to vaporize the liquid.

Referring to FIG. 2, the principles -of the invention are shown as `applied to a heating element 3d which may be made from the same material as element l10. Element 30 may include a flat supporting surface 31 and a shallow peripheral wall or ledge 32. Element 30 may include a threaded portion 33 having -an electrically conducting coating 34 thereon. A resistance coil 35 may be embedded in the material of element 30l beneath the flat surface 31. One end 36 of -coil 35 may be connected to the coating 34, and the opposite end 37 may extend downwardly through the por-tion 33 to a conducting tap 38 -at the bottom of portion 33.

A cartridge-like vaporizer 39 may be supported on the iiat surface 31 of heating element 30. It may include `a flat bottom 40 surrounded by an upstanding peripheral wall means 41. At the center of bottom 40 may be an inwardly domed convex surface 42. A wick 43 of capillary material may lie along the bottom 40 and cover the dome-like surface 42. The wick or capillary member is cut away at its center so as to expose a hot spot area 43A to vaporize the liquid. A dish-shaped member 44 having upstanding wall means may be frictionally held within the wall means 41. Member 44 may include passageway means 45 extending through its center at the lowest elevation of member 44. The passageway means 45 may contact the capillary material 43, and with a quantity of liquid 46 within vaporizer 39, the upper end 47 of wall means 41 may be rolled over the top edge of member 44 to hold the parts in permanent, -assembled form. The heating element may be flat or have a dome-shaped area corresponding to the domed convex surface 42 of the cartridge.

With either of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 .and 2 threaded into a light socket in an electric circuit, heating elements and 30 raise the temperature of the liquid 28 and 46 and that of the air thereabove, causing the latter to expand, thus increasing the pressure thereof. This forces the liquid 28 and 46 through the capillary wicks 27, 43 and into the dish-shaped members 22 and 44 where the liquid is vaporized and dispensed into the surrounding atmosphere. When the electrical circuit is disconnected, the elements 10 and 30 cool down, forming subatm-ospheric pressure in vaporizers 19 and 39, thereby sucking any remaining liquid in members 22 and 44 back into containers 19 and 39.

While the elements 10 and 30 have been sh-own and described as being made of ceramic material having resistance coils embedded therein, it is to be understood that other forms of heating elements of the general shape of elements 10 and 30 may be employed. For example, elements 10 and 30 could be made from `a semiconducting material having the proper resistivity inherently to provide adequate heat for the purposes intended when connected across line voltage.

Although the various features of the improved heating element and cartridge-like vaporizer have been shown and described in detail to fully disclose two embodiments of the invention, it will be evident that changes may be made in such details land certain features may be used'wit-hout others without departing from the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

`1. In combination a cup-shaped electrical heating element having a at inner bottom surface surrounded by upstanding peripheral wall means and having a threaded portion adapted to be threaded into a light socket; electrical resistance means embedded within said heating element; a cartridge-like liquid vaporizer disposed within said electrical heating element, said vaporizer comprising an upright container holding some air and a liquid to be vaporized, said container having a surrounding side wall, a bottom wall provided with a at bottom portion supported by the at inner bottom surface of said heating element and an upwardly projecting dome-shaped portion positioned within said side wall so as to be surrounded by the liquid, said dome-shaped portion being hollow to dene a standard serving to transmit heat from the flat inner bottom surface of said heating element upwardly to the interior wall of said dome-shaped portion, and a top wall provided with a depressed portion to form an open-top evaporating pan, said depressed portion including a central bottom opening juxtaposed above said dome-shaped portion, and capillary means overlyingsaid dome-shaped portion and extending hetween the liquid in the container and said central bottom Iopening of said evaporating pan, permitting movement of the liquid between the interior of the container and said evaporating pan, the container being otherwise sealed, whereby when the container is heated -by said electrical resistance means, pressure created within said container forces liquid upwardly through said capillary means into said pan, and when said container cools, suction within said container draws liquid from the pan back into said container.

2. In combination, a cup-shaped electrical heating element made from a ceramic material and having a at inner bottom surface surrounded by upstanding peripheral walls; electrical resistance means embedded within said peripheral wal-ls; a cartridge-like liquid vaporizer disposed within said electrical heating element, said vaporizer comprising an upright container holding some air and a liquid to be vaporized, said container having a surrounding side wall, a bottom wall provided with a lflat bottom portion supported by the iiat inner bottom surface of said heating element and an upwardly projecting dome-shaped portion positioned within said side wall so as to be surrounded by the liquid, said dome-shaped portion being hollow to define a standard serving to transmit heat from the ilat inner bottom surface of said heating element upwardly to the interior wall of said domeshaped portion, and a top wall provided with a depressed portion to form an open-top evaporating pan, said depressed portion including a central bottom opening juxtaposed above said dome-shaped portion, and capillary means overlying said dome-shaped portion and extending between the liquid in the container and said central bottom opening of said evaporating pan, permitting movement of the liquid between the interior of the container and said evaporating pan, the container being otherwise sealed, said dome portion forming a hot spot between said heating element and said evaporating pan to evaporate liquid from said container, the container being otherwise sealed, whereby when the container is heated, pressure created within said container forces liquid upwardly through said capillary means into said pan, and when said container cools, suction within said container draws liquid from the pan back into said container.

3. In combination, -an electrical heating element made from a ceramic material and including an inner iiat surface therein surrounded by upstanding peripheral walls; electrical resistance means embedded within said ceramic material beneath said iiat surface; a cartridge-like liquid vaporizer disposed within said electrical heating element, said vaporizer comprising an upright container holding some air and a liquid to be vaporized, said container having a surrounding side wall, a bottom wall provided with a fiat bottom portion supported by 4the flat inner bottom surface of said heating element and an upwardly projecting dome-shaped portion positioned within said side wall so as to be surrounded by the liquid, said domeshaped portion being hollow to deiine a standard serving to transmit heat from the flat inner bottom surface of said heating element upwardly to the interior wall of said dome-shaped portion, and a top wall provided with a depressed portion to form an open-top evaporating pan, said depressed portion including a central bottom opening juxtaposed above said dome-shaped portion, and capillary means overlying said dome-shaped portion and extending between the liquid in the container and said central bottom opening of said evaporating pan, permitting movement of the liquid between the interior of the container and said evaporating pan, the container being otherwise sealed, whereby when the container is heated by said electrical resistance means, pressure created within said container forces liquid upwardly through said capillary imeans into said pan, and when said container cools, suction within said container draws liquid from the pan back into said container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Dorrnent 21-120 Brown 21-119 X Hacker 21-119 X Silten 219--275 Sampson 219-421 Supplee 21-120 Weber 21-120 MORRIS O. WOLK, Primary Examiner.

I. ZATARGA, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION A CUP-SHAPED ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT HAVING A FLAT INNER BOTTOM SURFACE SURROUNDED BY UPSTANDING PERIPHERAL WALL MEANS AND HAVING A THREADED PORTION ADAPTED TO BE THREADED INTO A LIGHT SOCKET; ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE MEANS EMBEDDED WITHIN SAID HEATING ELEMENT; A CARTRIDGE-LIKE LIQUID VAPORIZER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT, SAID VAPORIZER DISPOSED WITHIN AN UPRIGHT CONTAINER HOLDING SOME AIR AND A LIQUID TO BE VAPORIZED, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A SURROUNDING SIDE WALL, A BOTTOM WALL PROVIDED WITH A FLAT BOTTOM PORTION SUPPORTED BY THE FLAT INNER BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID HEATING ELEMENT AND AN UPWARDLY PROJECTING DOME-SHAPED PORTION POSITIONED WITHIN SAID SIDE WALL SO AS TO BE SURROUNDED BY THE LIQUID, SAID DOME-SHAPED PORTION BEING HOLLOW TO DEFINE A STANDARD SERVING TO TRANSMIT HEAT FROM THE FLAT INNER BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID HEATING ELEMENT UPWARDLY TO THE INTERIOR WALL OF SAID DOME-SHAPED PORTION, AND A TOP WALL PROVIDED WITH A DEPRESSED PORTION TO FORM AN OPEN-TOP EVAPORATING PAN, SAID EPRESSED PORTION INCUDING A CENTRAL BOTTOM OPENING JUXTAPOSED BOVE SAID DOME-SHAPED PORTION, AND CAPILLARY MEANS OVERLYING SAID DOME-SHAPED PORTION AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE LIQUID IN THE CONTAINER AND SAID CENTRAL BOTTOM OPENING OF SAID EVAPORATING PAN, PERMITTING MOVEMENT OF THE LIQUID BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINE AND SAID EVAPORATING PAN, THE CONTAINER IS HEATED BY SAID SEALED, WHEREBY WHEN THE CONTAINER IS HEATED BY SAID ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE MEANS, PRESSURE CREATED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER FORCES LIQUID UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID CAPILLARY MEANS INTO SAID PAN, AND WHEN SAID CONTAINER COOLS, SUCTION WITHIN SAID CONTAINER DRAWS LIQUID FROM THE PAN BACK INTO SAID CONTAINER. 